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Pacific cable, on behalf of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company I beg of you to be good enough to arrange with your Government for the building and erection of such a house in accordance with the plan and specification attached to this letter, and at a cost not exceeding £100 sterling. I have shown Mr. Gumming the position where the house is to be erected. It is desirable that the house should be in readiness for the cable not later than January next. On completion of the work payment will be made in London by my company to the Agent-General for New Zealand. Yours, &c, The Superintendent of Electric Lines, Wellington. C. W. Clarke.

No. 16. ;■ "■ Mr. B. E. Peake, Auckland, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. . (Telegram.) Auckland, 10th July, 1901. "Britannia " leaving to-morrow for Norfolk Island and Fiji. Am forwarding plans and specifications of telegraph buildings to London, with request that Pacific Board shall communicate with you by telegraph on the subject. Hope that everything will be quickly and satisfactorily settled. Many thanks for the courtesy and attention shown us here by your Department.

No. 17. Memorandum from the Superintendent of Electric Lines, Wellington, to the Hon. the Electric Telegraph Commissioner, Wellington, dated 18th July, 1901. The Hon. the Commissioner. Pacific Cable. Gable-hut.—Mr. Clarke, representative of the contractors for the laying of the Pacific cable, the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, who accompanied the " Britannia," requested me to have erected for them a cable-hut, plans and specifications of which he also gave' me. The estimated cost is £100. This I undertook to do on behalf of this Department, the contractors to pay the cost of it to the Agent-General in London when completed and the account presented. Buildings. —It is proposed to erect buildings as follows, cost to be divided between the Pacific Cable Board and the New Zealand Government:— One office building, one officers' quarters, and two residences for married officers, with the ; necessary fencing, outbuildings, and drainage. Copies of plans are submitted herewith. The estimated cost is £6,500. Mr. Peake has sent the plans and specifications to the Pacific Cable Board, and it is understood if they are approved of by them the erection of the buildings will be proceeded with by the New Zealand Government on receipt of a telegram to that effect. They should be completed by next March—the office and staff quarters at least—as the cable-steamer " Anglia " is to leave London in January next, with the three sections of the cable on board for New Zealand-Norfolk Island, Norfolk Island-Queensland, and Norfolk Island-Fiji. The laying of these sections should be completed in April. We shall then have a second route for telegrams between New Zealand" and Australia. Land. —ln terms of agreement the New Zealand Government has to acquire the land selected for the landing-place, buildings, &c. The owner of the land proposed to be taken is a Mr. Harris. I have received an offer from him to sell 20 acres, the quantity mentioned, for £10 an acre. In this matter, however, I have instructed Mr. Meddings, Inspector, Auckland, to go to Mangonui, visit the ground with Mr. Harris, and to report further. The quantity of the land to'be purchased might be reduced, as there is Crown land adjoining, a portion of which, if as suitable, might be acquired for a paddock. The land generally is poor, and not of much agricultural value.- -...... J. K. Logan.

No. 18. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— _ 19th July, 1901. I have the honour to enclose herewith Times report of a question asked by Sir Edward Sassbon relative to the Pacific cable, and of Mr. Chamberlain's answer thereto, in the House of Commons. In reference to the construction of the cable by the contractors, I may mention that the' members of the Board were invited by the Construction Company to visit their works in ; Wharf Boad, City Boad, in the north-east of London. Several members went there accordingly, and were shown the works, and the first section of the Pacific cable in process of being made. As far as I can gather, however, there is no intention of pushing on the actual making of the cable rapidly, and I propose to bring this question up at the next 'meeting of the Gable Board. Thereafter I will write to you stating the result of my inquiries. At present the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company seems chiefly busy in carrying out large contracts for the Eastern Extension Company. I have, &c,' ' The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. P. Beeves.